How does COVID-19 affect letter writing?

With many in-person "get out the vote" activities on hold due to COVID-19, letter writing from home has emerged as a safe and effective way of encouraging voters to vote.

Writing letters
When preparing letters, Vote Forward volunteers should follow current handwashing guidelines, as they would for touching any surface, both before and after they work on their letters, and we ask that they consult national, state, and local public health resources for detailed information. 

There are many unknowns when it comes to the spread of COVID-19, and we defer to public health experts on this. According to the CDC, coronaviruses are thought to be spread most often by respiratory droplets. To date, based on CDC safety information, we’ve learned that the virus can survive for a short period on some surfaces, but is unlikely to be spread from domestic or international mail, products, or packaging. However, it may be possible that people can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

Mailing letters
When it's time to mail Vote Forward letters, volunteers who are quarantining or sheltering in place or who don’t feel safe going to their post office should make arrangements with a friend, neighbor, family member, or neighborhood mail carrier to pick up and mail their letters. Dropping letters in a blue mailbox may also be an option if volunteers feel they can do it safely.